Apparatus for detecting objects



Oct. 13, 1970 p, STERN APPARATUS FOR DETECTING OBJECTS Filed Oct. 20, 1966 INVENTOR PETER STERN DETECTION ARE/4 ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,534,358 Patented Oct. 13, 1970 3,534,358 APPARATUS FOR DETECTING OBJECTS Peter Stern, Elkins Park, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Logistics Industries Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 588,080 Int. Cl. G08b 13/14, 13/00 US. Cl. 340280 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to the detection of objects of a portable nature.

Many small objects of a portable nature are surreptitiously removed from their place of storage. Among such objects are books in public libraries, school libraries and college libraries. The thefts of books from such libraries are appreciable in percentage of book stock as well as in dollar value.

Various attempts have been made to solve the problem including the use of guards, mirrors, television cameras, restricted stack privileges, and security charge-out procedures.

It has also heretofore been proposed in the patent to Trikilis, No. 3,292,080, to conceal a small magnet within each book with magnet deactivator provisions at the charge out desk. Magnetic responsive detectors are concealed in the door frame at the library exit to activate an alarm in the event that the magnet has not been demagnetized at the charge out desk. The magnet is remagnetized upon the return of the book by a reader.

None of the attempts heretofore made to prevent such thefts has proven satisfactory.

Unauthorized removal of articles of merchandise, rare manuscripts, securities and classified documents has not heretofore been satisfactorily prevented.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide simple but effective theft preventing apparatus, and more specifically a theft responsive component, which can be used with portable articles.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide theft preventing apparatus for books, including paperback books which is unobtrusive but nevertheless effective.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide theft preventing apparatus for books, which is inexpensive and easy to install in books and the like.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide theft preventing apparatus for books and other small portable objects and including articles of merchandise, rare manuscripts, museum pieces, securities, classified documents and the like, which will be effective for energizing an alarm system which system should be relatively free from alarms due to the carrying of coins, keys, cigarette cases, compacts and other metallic articles.

Other objects and advantageous features will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective as seen from one side of a unit for detection, parts being broken away to show the details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 22 of FIG. 1; 7

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 as seen from the opposite side;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a book having a detection unit incorporated therein and providing also a pocket for a library card;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of a book having a detection unit of a different shape incorporated therein and forming part of a library card pocket;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 77 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view of a detection system with which the detection unit can be employed.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the sev eral views.

The detection unit in accordance with the invention preferably includes a flat metallic foil component, covered and concealed on at least one side face by a paper lamination. The other side face of the unit can be covered, if desired, and made adherent to the book or other object to be detected. A detection location is provided which is preferably bypassed by the article whose presence is known and which is being charged to the borrower or purchaser, so that articles surreptitiously moved through the detection location can activate an alarm.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 8 of the drawings, the detection system there shown diagrammatically includes a confined departure path 10 with a detection area 11 interposed therein. The detection area 11 can be provided with any desired detector mechanism (not shown) having the desired response characteristics for determining the removal of the article, including turnstile locking and/or activating an alarm 12 in response to the proximity of a detector unit 15 to be described.

A bypass 16 is provided with respect to the path 10 which may include a check-out desk 17 and passageway 18 which may include a conveyor for passage of authorized articles even though equipped with detector units 15.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings a preferred form of detector unit 15 is there illustrated and includes an interior flat metallic foil core sheet 20, in the range from 0.00035 inch to 0.002 inch, with an exterior cover sheet 21 of paper or the like, in adherent relation to the core 20. While any desired core sheet 20 may be employed it is preferred that it be of aluminum or like non-ferrous metallic material. The core 20 in a particular embodiment approximately can be four inches by seven inches, so as to have a cross sectional area of about twenty seven square inches, or more, and may have a thickness for this area of the order of fifteen ten thousandths of an inch.

The cover sheet 21 can be of any desired material capable of receiving printing and capable of protecting the sheet 20 in addition to concealing the sheet 20, and also strengthening and stifiening the unit 15, a bleached kraft paper being suitable.

If desired, a back protective paper sheet 22, of unbleached kraft paper or other suitable paper can be employed, in adherent relation to the back face of the core sheet 20.

Also, if desired, the unit 15 on the back thereof can have an adhesive coating 23 of any preferred material,

3 such as a pressure sensitive adhesive or a water sensitive adhesive.

The unit 15 is light in weight, thin, inconspicuous, does not disclose its purpose or potential detector activating qualities, and can be readily inserted in any desired object, or can be used in sheet form.

In FIG. 4, the unit 15 is shown as mounted on the inside of the back cover 24 of a book 25. The book 25 can be cloth bound or can be a paperback since the unit 15 is readily adapted for insertion and mounting in most types and sizes of books.

The unit 15 as shown in FIG. 4 can be mounted on the back cover 24 to provide a pocket 26 for the reception of a conventional library card 27.

In FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 the unit 15 is shown as carrying a pocket 28 for the library card 27. The pocket 28 has a back panel 29, a shorter front panel 30, rearwardly disposed side fiaps 31, and an inwardly disposed downturn top wear flap 32.

In use the detector unit 15-i s mounted in a book 25 or other article to be protected against theft or unauthorized removal. When the article is to be removed with authorization the borrower or purchaser with the article enters the confined detector path 10 and presents the article such as the book to be removed with authorization to the charge out desk 17 where the article 25 is bypassed around the detection area '11.

The borrower or purchaser then passes along the detection area 11 separated from the article 25 which is moved along the bypass 16 as one authorized for removal. If the borrower or purchaser has secreted on his person, in his clothes, in his pockets, in a briefcase or other receptacle, or among his other possessions an article 25 carrying a detector unit 15 this Will cause energization of the detector mechanisms and activation of the alarm 12. The alarm 12 will be effective to detect unauthorized removal of articles and by reason of knowledge of its existence will discourage attempts to remove articles without anthorization.

It will be clear that the use of the unit 15 is not confined to books but may be employed with a variety of other articles such as by inclusion within the package, wrapping, carrying envelope, or mounting card.

I claim: l

1. The method of preventing removal of unauthorized articles which comprises:

permanently associating a concealed metallic detector element of predetermined surface area with each of the articles,

directing the withdrawal of all articles being removed in a predetermined departure path, bypassing from said departure path into a non-detecting bypass path articles authorized for withdrawal, and

detecting at a selected location along said departure path the presence of articles with said associated detector elements, and

moving said authorized article along said bypass path separated from said selected location so as to be unavailable for article detection.

2. The method defined in claim 1 which further includes returning articles authorized for removal to said departure path beyond said selected locations.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,292,080 12/1966 Trikilis 340280XR OTHER REFERENCES Luck, David G. C., Young, Charles 1., The Prison Gun Detector (Electromagnetic Devices Discloses Metal Generally), Radio World, December 1936, pp. 50-56.

ALVIN H. WARING, Primary Examiner J. MICHAEL BOBBITT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 32441 

